Afghanistan International: Residents of eastern Nangarhar province who were displaced by Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) fighting under the former Afghan republic say the Taliban have failed to deliver on promises to rebuild their destroyed homes, and infrastructure. Civilians from Haska Mina, Achin, Spin Ghar, Kot, Naziyan and Dur Baba districts told Afghanistan International that clashes during
Afghanistan International: Following the Taliban’s official ban on opium cultivation and trafficking, some Taliban officials and drug smugglers have turned to producing methamphetamine, locally known as shisha, derived from the ephedra plant, known in Afghanistan simply as ephedra. An investigation by Afghanistan International indicates that certain Taliban figures are directly involved in the ephedra trade.
NBC News: They are seen exploring the country’s landlocked, mountainous terrain and its tribal culture in videos posted online, contesting perceptions that the country is unsafe and hostile to women. While thrilling for the influencers and their followers, critics accuse these carefully edited travelogues of whitewashing the harsh realities of life in Afghanistan, particularly for
Afghanistan International: The new tariff structure was published just hours before the 1 August deadline for trade negotiations and agreements with foreign governments. Under the updated policy, countries with a trade deficit with the United States, including Afghanistan, will now face a base tariff rate of 15 percent. The previous 10 percent rate will remain
Khaama: The future of the Wakhan Corridor will shape far more than trade routes; it will determine whether Afghanistan becomes a bridge for cooperation or a battleground for rivalry. China’s push to extend CPEC through Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor promises economic gain but ignites tensions, with India, Western powers, and regional rivals alarmed over shifting geopolitical
By Firuza Azizi and Farangis Najibullah Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty July 29, 2025 Rakhshana stopped going to school as a young girl in Kabul when the Taliban-led government banned education for girls beyond primary school. Then she enrolled at a private center that offered English language classes. But that too was taken away when the
The Times of Central Asia: The United States and its allies may be uneasy about the Taliban’s return to power, given their extremist history, continued repression, and the collapse of decades-long Western efforts in Afghanistan. Nevertheless, the Taliban is strengthening ties with the Global South—particularly Central Asia—in search of investment for railway infrastructure. For landlocked
Amu: The day Setara, a young woman in Badakhshan Province in northeastern Afghanistan, passed the university entrance exam was the day she believed her life would begin. Instead, it ended in a poppy field. Once dreaming of becoming a teacher, the young woman from Badakhshan, whose name has been changed in this story to protect
8am: The World Food Programme (WFP) in Afghanistan has reported that hundreds of families have been affected following floods in the eastern part of the country. Although the exact extent of the damages and human casualties caused by the floods in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces has not been determined, Taliban officials have reported the destruction of
The Moscow Times: Russian tour companies have started advertising travel packages to Afghanistan, offering weeklong trips to the country for around $3,000 as Moscow deepens its ties with the Taliban-led government in Kabul. The offers, which have appeared on Russian online platforms in recent days, promise Russian citizens organized tours to Afghanistan, with the first